Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul today told Opposition MPs that they will have plenty of time to debate Deputy Prime MInister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption discharge in the Yayasan Akalbudi trial soon enough.
Johari said he will give them all the time during the six days of a special Parliamentary sitting to discuss the matter, after the Opposition kicked up a fuss and accused the Speaker of breaking his earlier promise.
Johari denied doing so, saying he was only following precedent set by his predecessor Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun in 2021 when he rejected their motion for debate yesterday.
“Yesterday I said I will give you time and space to discuss this issue and I won't stop it. As for rejecting the emergency motion, look at Azhar's ruling on July 23, 2021.
“Azhar rejected two motions by the Beruas and Port Dickson MPs at the time when they wanted to discuss certain issues relating to the Emergency Declaration. So I'm following this precedent based on Standing Order 11(3),” he said.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had been the Port Dickson MP back then and was in the Opposition, as was Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham from the DAP.
“Since this is also a special sitting like that in 2021, the one who gets to decide is the prime minister so I'm taking that precedent ,again, because this is a special sitting.
“As for what I said yesterday, I never said you can discuss it yesterday itself. I mean you have these six days to say what you want to say and I will not stop you,” Johari said.
Under Standing Order 11(3), the prime minister can ask for a sitting of the Dewan Rakyat during an adjournment if a matter involves public interest and the Speaker must oblige and call for one.
The six-day special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat that began yesterday was called by Anwar who is now both prime minister and finance minister, to table a mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan.
